Sueyoshi, Ishimoto Victorious

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Upcoming Japanese prospect, WBO#13 super-feather Tsutomu Sueyoshi (15-1, 10 KOs), 131.75, made short work of Filipino Nelson Tinampay (12-5-1, 5 KOs), 132, with a single body shot at 2:32 of the third round in a scheduled ten on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan.

Sueyoshi, an upright jabber, once suffered a split decision loss to Masayuki Ito, the current OPBF 130-pound titlist, in a four-round contest in 2012, and thus scored twelve victorious in a row. Tinampay fell prone in agony to be counted out by the referee Someya.

In a semi-windup, formerly world-rated ex-Japanese super-bantam ruler Yasutaka Ishimoto (30-9, 9 KOs), 124, withstood the opening attack of hard-hitting Filipino Arnel Baconaje (8-3, 6 KOs), 124, but finally embalmed him with effective retaliations at 2:38 of the seventh session. The 35-year-old veteran Ishimoto sustained a gash on the middle of the forehead in round two, but fought back hard to floor the fading early starter twice and finish him with a body shot following a furious combination. Having been dethroned by upcoming hard-puncher Yusaku Kuga via second-round TKO in their rematch this February, Ishimoto, a previous upset victor over Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. in Macao in 2013, made up his mind to make a comeback and pursue a belt again.